Wheatcroft fires 62 to steer Deere
Steve Wheatcroft shot a career-best 9-under 62 yesterday to take a 1-shot lead in the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill.
Wheatcroft birdied seven of the last nine holes to finish a shot ahead of Michael Kim. Johnson Wagner, Nick Taylor, Andres Romero and Joel Dahmen shot opening-round 64s.
Francesco Molinari, who won the Quicken Loans National two weeks ago, was among a group of players 3 strokes back.
Zach Johnson shot 69 and three-time John Deere winner Steve Stricker finished at 1-under 70.
Defending champion
Bryson DeChambeau, the highest-ranked FedEx Cup player in the field at No. 6, withdrew because of a right shoulder injury. DeChambeau, who won the Memorial Tournament earlier this season, first tweaked his shoulder on a shot out of the rough on the second hole. He pulled out after an awkward tee shot on No. 16.
Wheatcroft hasn’t had a top-10 finish this season, and he’s 209th in the FedEx Cup standings. But on the back nine, he finished with six straight birdies, including a 13-foot putt on the 18th, for just his third round in the 60s this season.
Wheatcroft’s previous best scores on the Tour were 64s at the 2012 Greenbrier Classic and the 2016 Canadian Open.
Kim, who like Wheatcroft is seeking his first career PGA win, notched six birdies on the back nine.
Europe: List fires 63
American Luke List equaled the Gullane course record with a 7-under-par 63 to open the Scottish Open. List moved into the lead with his ninth birdie on the 15th hole and held it to finish the round ahead by 1 stroke.
List was followed in a tie for second by Rickie Fowler, Lee Westwood, Robert Rock, Scott Fernandez and
Jens Dantorp.
Masters champion Patrick Reed was part of an eight-strong group a shot further back following a 65, with Danny Willett continuing his resurgence with a 66, and Olympic champion
Justin Rose returning a 67.
On a day when almost 100 players broke par, fivetime major champion Phil Mickelson, who won the 2013 British Open at Muirfield, shot a level-par 70.
The Open takes place next week at Carnoustie.
Champions: All tied
Kenny Perry and Mike Small shot 7-under 65s to share a 1-stroke lead in the first round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship in Highland Park, Ill.
Bart Bryant, Glen Day
and 2015 U.S. Senior Open champion Jeff Maggert
were 1 stroke back in the fourth of five majors on the PGA Tour Champions schedule.
The 57-year-old Perry made eight birdies and one bogey to put himself in contention for his fifth senior major.
LPGA: 1-stroke lead
Thidapa Suwannapura shot a 6-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead at the Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio. Seven players, including defending champion I.K. Kim and former No. 1 Yani Tseng, were a stroke behind at 66.
USGA: Crosby ahead
Elaine Crosby shot a 3-under-par 70 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill., for the lead after one round of the USGA’s inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.